Yakovlev Yak-14
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| Yak-14 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Military transport glider |
| Manufacturer | Yakovlev |
| Maiden flight | 1948 |
| Introduced | 1950 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | USSR Czechoslovakia |
| Number built | 413 |
The Yakovlev Yak-14 was the Soviet medium transport military glider of post World War II period.
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[edit] Design and development
World War II proved usefulness of military gliders in airborne operations. During the war, the Soviet Union operated only light gliders Gribovski G-11, Antonov A-7 and KC-20. They could not transport vehicles nor bigger guns. Only after the war, the Soviet designers were ordered to develop medium gliders. Works upon the Yak-14 started in 1948 in Yakovlev bureau, that were not constructing gliders before.
The prototype was built in 1948 and, after trials, modified in next year. From August 2 to September 17, 1949 there were carried state trials of the Yak-14. The trials were quite successful and the glider demanded small improvements only. A serial production of the Yak-14 started in a factory no. 168 in Rostov-on-Don. From 1951 a variant Yak-14M was built, with dual controls. 413 Yak-14s were made.
[edit] Description
High-wing braced monoplane, metal construction, canvas covered. Fuselage rectangular in cross-section. Front part of wings covered with duralumin. Front and rear sections of the fuselage were opening to a side, so that vehicles can drive to a transport compartment. Cockpit for two pilots was on the top of the fuselage, shifted left. Troops sat on benches along sides. Fixed tricycle landing gear. Main gear could be raised before landing, by releasing air from shock absorbers, the glider then sat on skids under the fuselage in order to shorten landing.
[edit] Operational history
The Yak-14 was used in airborne units in all the USSR. Two were delivered to Czechoslovakia in the early 1950s. It could carry 76 mm field gun with GAZ-67B jeep, two GAZ-67B's (later GAZ-69's), GAZ-51 truck, 122 mm howitzer, ASU-57 light self-propelled gun or 35 troops. They were usually towed by Ilyushin Il-12D planes.
In March 1954 four Yak-14s were used to transport machines, among other a dozer, to Arctic survey station SP-4 on a floating ice (they were the only aircraft of that time capable of transporting such loads not dismantled). They flew from Tula on March 10, with several stops, through Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, to the Schmidt Cape in Sakhalin in the Far East and finally landed on a floating ice in early April, in a heavy freeze.
In the late 1950s transport gliders were withdrawn from service, as obsolete mean of transport, replaced by Antonov An-12 turboprop transport planes and helicopters Mil Mi-4 and Mil Mi-6.
[edit] Variants
- Yak-14
- Basic production variant.
- Yak-14M
- Dual controls version built from 1951.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: two pilots
- Capacity: 35 troops or 3,500 kg cargo
- Payload: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)
- Length: 18.44 m (60 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 26.17 m (85 ft 10 in)
- Height: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 83.3 m² (896.3 ft²)
- Empty weight: 3,082 kg (6,780 lb)
- Loaded weight: 6,750 kg (14,850 lb)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 300 km/h (162 knots, 186 mph)
- Minimum sink rate :
- Best glide ratio: 12.5
[edit] References
- Yak-14 at Ugolok Neba (Russian)
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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